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Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has authorized sending hundreds of military lawyers to the Justice Department to temporarily serve as immigration judges.
According to the Associated Press, a memo said the military will begin sending groups of 150 attorneys to the Justice Department “as soon as practicable.”
The memo reportedly approves sending up to 600 lawyers.
🚨 BREAKING: Pete Hegseth’s Pentagon is authorizing up to 600 military lawyers to serve as IMMIGRATION JUDGES, doubling their totals and speeding up the deportation of illegal aliens.
It had to happen. We have a massive backlog. Clear it out. pic.twitter.com/KEiekEP98b
— Eric Daugherty (@EricLDaugh) September 2, 2025
More from the Associated Press:
The effort comes as the Trump administration more regularly turns to the military as it cracks down on illegal immigration through ramped-up arrests and deportations. Its growing role in the push includes troops patrolling the U.S.-Mexico border, National Guard members being sent into U.S. cities to support immigration enforcement efforts, housing people awaiting deportation on military bases and using military aircraft to carry out deportations.
The administration’s focus on illegal immigration has added strain to the immigration courts, which were already dealing with a massive backlog of roughly 3.5 million cases that has ballooned in recent years. An organization for immigration lawyers called the new directive a “destructive” move meant to undermine the courts.
At the same time, more than 100 immigration judges have been fired or left voluntarily after taking deferred resignations offered by the Trump administration, their union says. In the most recent round of terminations, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers said in July that at least 17 immigration judges had been fired “without cause” in courts across the country.
That has left about 600 immigration judges, union figures show, meaning the Pentagon move would double their ranks.
The memo reportedly noted that the duties of the newly assigned attorneys will initially last no more than 179 days but can be renewed.
BREAKING: Pentagon authorizes up to 600 military lawyers to serve as temporary immigration judges, according to a memo reviewed by the AP. https://t.co/DCBgcnlcAb
— The Associated Press (@AP) September 2, 2025
Military Times noted:
When asked about the move, a DOJ spokesperson referred questions about the plan to the Defense Department. Pentagon officials directed questions to the White House.
A White House official said Tuesday that the administration is looking at a variety of options to help resolve the significant backlog of immigration cases, including hiring additional immigration judges.
The official said the matter should be “a priority that everyone — including those waiting for adjudication — can rally around.”